The Scorched Turnabout
by Nr36
Summary: Maya Fey- spirit medium, assistant, murderer? Phoenix Wright thinks not, and has to defy the beliefs of the police and most of the people of Los Angeles to prove his theory. Takes place after PW:JFA.
1. Burning Up

NOTE: This story is a follow-up to _Turnabout Saturn. _If you have not read it, do so if you desire, although this story could be read on its own.

October 4 9:45 A.M. Kurain Village

Phoenix guided Miles Edgeworth into what was called in those parts as "The Lost City". He maneuvered him around various sushi and hibachi vendors and into the city center.

"Here, English seems to be used interchangeably with Japanese.", Phoenix stated.

Miles replied, "More like a foreign language which I do not understand."

Maya then found Phoenix and said, "_Konnichiwa, Wright-san_!"

Miles groaned in discontent and asked, "Will I have to endure Japanese for this whole news broadcast? No wonder it's called 'The Lost City'! Not too many people know Japanese nowadays!"

She then said once more, "Or, as we say in English, Hello, Mr. Wright! Oh, and Mr. Edgeworth, why are you here?"

Phoenix replied, "He is here to make a news broadcast about the village."

Maya happily replied, "Well, why didn't you say so? Come on inside the city center!"

Miles backed up in amazement as he looked up and saw buildings, all with roofs made out of terra cotta, some of which were 20 stories high.

Maya abruptly noted, "Well, I have to get something at my apartment."

Phoenix asked in amazement, "I thought you owned a house!"

She replied, "Well, from March 1 to September 30. Otherwise, I live in Story Towers. However, a lot of my stuff is at my Aunt Morgan's."

They followed her towards the building, but she told them to go back to the city center, so they obeyed. They sat and waited, almost with a little glee, as if to what she would bring out of her apartment room.

To prevent himself from becoming bored, Phoenix sparked a conversation with Mr. Edgeworth.

"Hey, don't you think that the buildings are a little too tall?", he asked.

"Not particularly," replied Miles. "Honestly, I don't really care about the subject."

Suddenly, Phoenix heard Maya expel a childlike scream.

She then burst out, "NICK! EDGEWORTH! HELP!"

The two sprinted over to Maya to aid her.

They found her kneeling in the ground and asked her, "What is all the commotion?"

She opened her eyes, and they watered.

She yelled, "Story Towers is on fire! My eyes are itchy from the smoke!"

The fire trucks and ambulances then showed up. The water mains were opened, and the hoses were turned on, even though that the building was completely consumed in flames by then. However, by some sort of measure, the fire started to gradually go down.

However, there were people trapped above the blaze, and they flew out the window and landed on a trampoline, which bounced them to another, and onto a landing bag.

Eventually, the fire was extinguished, and the building remained standing. The authorities took people counts.

One police officer said, "No one is dead! This is a miracle!"

The crowd of people cheered loudly.

However, then a different police officer yelled, "Hold it! We haven't searched the inside yet!"

A line of police officers entered the complex and then came out a few minutes later with a charred blanket, which covered an object. The crowd screamed in fear as the police exited and took of the blanket off the object under it.

The police ripped it off. They found a body underneath, which was untouched by the fire. She was dressed in an outfit similar to Maya's, but with a red magatama.

One man checked for a pulse, but said, "This woman is dead. Most likely, for more than 35 minutes."

Another man, which was in traditional dress, argued, "Well, I know this girl. Her name is Amanda Steele. She is the daughter-in-law of Misty Fey. I know that Misty's youngest daughter, Maya had entered about 35 minuted ago. This means that she could have killed her and set the apartment ablaze to cover her up!"

The crowd roared in fear. Phoenix looked to his right, his left, and his back. He saw police officers closing in on Maya, who seemed like the culprit.

Miles said, "See you guys later! I'm outta here!"

The 14 officers that surrounded her raised their handguns simultaneously and screamed, "POLICE DEPARTMENT! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST! PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"

Maya sadly raised her hands. A female officer put handcuffs on her, while another officer secured shackles to her legs and connected them to a second pair of cuffs, which were attached to her ankles.

A male one, with a mustache, said, "You have the right to remain silent! However, anything you say can be used against you in court!"

They loaded her into a police car and drove her off to the detention center.

Phoenix sunk his head between his legs and mumbled, "Maya Fey...murderer? It doesn't sound right!"


	2. Extinguish The Fire!

October 4 10:00 A.M. Detention Center

Phoenix entered, hoping to find Maya inside. However, the seat was empty. Despite the situation, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary until he found a note on the seat.M

It read, "Maya Fey transferred to the Psychiatric Ward, 9:59 A.M."

Phoenix then found a door slightly ajar and pulled it wide open.  
As he crept into the room, he found several beds with IV's and medication cabinets, so it appeared to be like a hospital; it was just that it was for people with mental issues. He then noticed a sign with almost unreadable handwriting which read, "Psychiatric Ward".

He crept to the left and found Maya sleeping on the gurney, almost like a baby. There was an IV containing glucose which was attached to her and was being pumped in.

He asked, "Maya, are you all right?"

She opened her soft, blue eyes and replied, "Nick, I shouldn't be here. It's just that when I wouldn't stop crying, they took me to their psychiatrist. He believed I needed bed rest for 24 hours, or for how long it takes me to calm down."

He called over the doctor to remove her IV and take off the EKG electrodes. Maya continued to speak with Phoenix, and explained that she could leave the detention center with a responsible person from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. and they could go anywhere they chose within a 5 mile radius.

Phoenix took Maya to his house, where he found a mysterious figure snapping photographs.

He asked the figure, "By chance, could you help us?"

The person turned around. She said, "Wait a minute! I reckon that I've seen you before, Mr. Wright! In fact, I was in that apartment, and I took some snapshots!"

The attorney shivered. He then realized, "Oh, boy. This could be bad for both of us. After all, court begins at 6:00 today."

What was even worse was that when Lotta Hart presented evidence, it was usually more hurtful that helpful.

Maya followed Phoenix into his house. Maya said, "Well, we should spend some time here before we search for evidence."

She then heard a familiar tune was the Steel Samurai theme.

"Nick, I think your phone is ringing!", she exclaimed.

He reached for it and said, "Hello?"

The voice rang out, "Hey pal! Detective Gumshoe here! You should probably come out to the scene and check it out."

Phoenix replied, "See you there."

He put the device in his pocket and ran out to the garage. He got in his car with Maya and drove off to the scene.

October 4 10:25 A.M. Story Towers

He arrived and noticed a police officer standing in front of the door.

Phoenix started to whistle to himself, "He went down the streets of town until the traffic cop; he only paused a moment, when he heard him holler..."

The police officer blew hard on his whistle and screamed, "Stop! Stop! STOP!"

Phoenix came to a halt immediately. The officer asked him scruffily, "What bring you here, passerby?"

Phoenix ripped out his attorney's badge and yelled, "Objection!"

The officer's state of aggression disappeared immediately. "Well then, go along.", he continued.

Then, as Maya came out of a corner and started to make her way into the doorway, the officer riled, "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, YOUNG LADY!"

He barreled towards her and stated, "You are on this page of who just got arrested. It reads right here:

Name: Maya Fey

Age:17

Reason for arrest: Suspected first-degree murder and arson

She stammered, "Well, you see, um...the guys in the detention center said I could run around the city during visiting hours with a responsible person."

The officer said, "Well, I suppose you can go along."

They entered the building and raced to the scene of the crime. They saw an outline around where the body was. It was straight, not wiggly as most.

"This seems to suggest that the victim was killed in another part of the building and was placed here to be disposed of," said Detective Gumshoe.

Phoenix inquired, "Well, did you recover the blanket?"

He held it high above his head and gave it to the attorney.

He asked, "Well, was the body burnt at all?"

The detective concluded, "Well, based on the evidence, including that the body was unscathed and due to the analysis of the fibers, it seems that this is a fire blanket."

Maya jumped in surprise and exclaimed, "Fire blanket?! Why would the killer cover something they would want to get rid of with a fire blanket?"

"Well," the detective replied, "Maya, er, the killer, must have been in quite a hurry, as usually, a killer would only use a fire blanket to cover a body as a last resort, and definitely wouldn't use it in circumstances like this unless they were highly inexperienced."

Phoenix nodded his head and stated, "Well, we should probably head back to the detention center anyway. I have some questions I want to ask you."

The two exited the scene and drove off to the "room of doom" from which many never escape.

October 4 10:45 A.M. Detention Center

Maya was sealed behind a 4 inch polycarbonate plastic wall, which covered the whole front of the room, She sat down and started answering questions.

"First of all, why did you enter the apartment?"

Maya replied, "Well, I was going to get you a present."

He asked again, "What do you mean by 'a present'? Who's birthday is it?"

She said, "Didn't you forget? The day after tomorrow is Pearly's birthday!"

Phoenix sweated and replied, "Well, go figure. Anyways, we should keep talking until hours end."


	3. Familiar Face

October 4, 4:15 P.M. Kurain Village

Phoenix hummed to the tune of _Sakura Sakura_ as he passed down the pathways leading to Morgan Fey's residence. He entered softly and saw her in the living room with the lights off and the fire going, while holding a photograph.

She laughed comically and said in an ominous voice, "Misty Fey, we meet again at last. The circle is now complete. You are officially dead. Then again, ever since 2005, you have been officially dead. And Maya, your poor daughter, will never get to see your face again. You will fade into nothingness. Mystic Maya will pass on sooner or later, and I will become the totem pole rider. After that, Mystic Pearl will take my place, and the branch family will rule forevermore! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Phoenix then entered and screamed, "Let there be light in this place! It's so dark in here!"

The woman replied angrily, "What the hell...?! Were you eavesdropping, attorney?"

Phoenix replied, "Well, now that you mention it, you did do a decent job at imitating Darth Vader. Anyways, why do you have such a stigma against your sister?"

Morgan snapped, "Well, ever since Misty existed, she got the better treatment! She got the premium meals! She got to go to college! She got the good side of everybody! She left me to be stranded in the dust! And now it is time for my revenge!"

There was a brief silence and she resumed with a normal tone of voice.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wright. I just felt jealous of Misty and I wanted to be like her.", she spoke.

Phoenix said, "Well, that's understandable. Then again, I should be off to the District Court."

October 4, 5:35 P.M. Defendant Lobby No. 1

Phoenix entered and thought, "I hope this goes well."

Maya then stood next to him and said, "Nick, try guess who the prosecutor is for this trial!"

Phoenix replied, "Well, its either Miles Edgeworth or Franziska von Karma. Just tell me."

She solemnly replied, "Well, it looks like the perfectionist is up against us."

Phoenix groaned, "Let me guess; von Karma?"

She confirmed, "Yes. Unfortunately, it's von Karma."

Phoenix uttered, "Augh!"

October 4, 6:00 P.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 1

The jury chatted about random topics. Phoenix noticed that the jury was entirely made up of the usual fellows, in addition to about 25 people from Kurain Village. They would ultimately decide Maya's fate. Phoenix sweated in nervousness.

Maya announced, "Nick, I bet that all of those extra jurors have never been in court before. They will decide my fate. Then again, Nick, I will probably be sentenced to death. You've got to save me!"

The judge then banged his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Maya Fey.", he said.

A voice rang out, "The prosecution is braced for impact, Your Honor."

Phoenix forced out a smile and said against himself, "The defense is ready, Your Honor."

The judge continued, "Ms. von Karma, do you have any witnesses?"

She replied while sweating profusely, "N...not one, Your Honor."

Most of the jurors began speaking randomly. The judge used his gavel.

"Well, do you have somebody to put up on the stand?"

She hastily said, "The prosecution calls Lotta Hart to the stand."

She stood on the stand, and unfurled her digital camera. She yelled so loud that some could hear her 2 miles away.

"Hello, all members of the District Court! All should pay vast amounts of attention!"

She plugged her camera in and blew up the images onto the court projector.

"I took these as I was passing by the scene," she added.

The first image was a shot from behind Maya, and she was holding a gun in her right hand, which was positioned behind her body. Amanda Steele's body was on the floor in a pool of blood. The jury mumbled out various words, one of which resembled the word "Guilty".

The next image was a image from the front. Maya had blood stained clothes and had an angry look on her face. Her chest was partially exposed, so it appeared that she had been in a struggle. There was also a side view of the same picture.

The judge asked, "Will the witness care to testify?"

Lotta agreed and began her testimony.

After it was completed, the judge said, "Ah. So it was that. Mr. Wright, begin your cross-examination."

Phoenix got serious and analyzed the testimony with immense scrutiny.

Lotta began, "I was in the apartment when I heard a woman scream. I saw Maya Fey, with gun in hand, blasting the victim with bullets! I took out my camera and took snapshots, and I don't know how I got the pictures to turn out good, as I was shaking pretty bad. And from this second image, I can prove that Maya was the killer!"

Phoenix then screamed, "Objection!"

He continued, "There is a terrible issue with this second image. Look right here, Your Honor."

The judge asked, "Mr. Wright, what is so important about this picture?"

The attorney said, "Well, if you compare this picture to Maya's mugshot, you can tell that in Lotta's image, Maya's breasts are larger!"

The jury roared and the judge banged his gavel three times.

"Order! Order in the court!", he stated with honor.

"Mr. Wright," he continued, "How can you explain this?"

Phoenix geared up, "Well, it seems that Maya's bust got larger by a significant amount, roughly from...well...I'd say a 28B to a 20C!"

Franziska yelled, "Objection! Mr. Wright, do you not know that there is a thing called 'foreshortening'?"

He screamed back, "Objection! There is no way her breasts could have grown!"

The reply was, "OBJECTION! Well, she could have partially channeled Mia during that time!"

Phoenix yelled, "Objection! Look at the picture! She doesn't look like Mia at all, does she?"

The judge smashed his gavel harder than ever and shouted, "Enough! We shall have a 30 minute recess to clear this up!" The gavel impacted once more.

October 4, 6:43 P.M. Kurain Village

Maya led Phoenix inside a small shop. The door made a noise as they entered. A woman greeted them.

"Hello, Maya and...is your name Mr. Nick, by chance?"

Phoenix sweated and replied, "I guess."

The woman continued, "Well, sir, do you need a new pair of underwear? Maya, had your bust grown and you need a new bra? After all, isn't this the Kurain Fabric Company, or is it not?"

Phoenix said, "Well, we need to look at the archives. We need to find if any woman in this town has mammaries around the 20C size."

She blushed and said, "Well, right away."

They were lead off to a display. It had reference charts for custom-made undergarments. The shopkeeper left in embarrassment.

Phoenix pointed out, "Well, let's see."

He then spotted one brassiere that seemed out of place.

He asked, "What woman in this place has 30DD breasts?"

Maya replied, "Most likely, my sister. I honestly don't know how they got that big. I'm not sure wether it was the estrogen injections given by the gynecologists, or if it was the ice cream that contains growth hormones. I mean, one day, when she was 14, she basically went from being flat-chested to having a 18B bust overnight."

Despite his searching, however, there was no exact match. It seemed that archive's records jumped from Maya's size, 26B, to 16D.

However, he did ask Maya, "What are these made out of?"

She replied hastily, "Polyester. Unfortunately, they break quite easily. They usually snap at where the cups connect."

Phoenix stated, "Well, it seems likely that the killer stole clothes from you and wore them. The bra probably snapped while she was killing the victim."

He then asked shyly, "What color are they?"

She turned red and said, "Purple. The same color as my panties."

Phoenix boldly announced, "We must now search for a purple pair of female undergarments. Let's go!"


	4. Fabric Fever

October 4, 6:45 P.M. Story Towers

Phoenix walked inside the building and to the scene of the crime. He found what he was looking for almost immediately; the tattered remains of a 97 cent bra could be found quite easily against the grey floor.

He picked them up and handed them to Maya, who said, "Nick, I can tell. This is indeed my bra."

The two left and stormed back to the courtroom.

October 4, 7:04 P.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 1

The judge banged his gavel. He said, "Court is now in back in session for the trial of Ms. Maya Fey. At this time, would the prosecution please state any new evidence that they found?"

Franziska yawned and blared, "Your Honor, is evidence lacking? I don't see a reason to venture out for a profound reason. I despise the manner in which that foolish fool to my left goes out and searches for foolish evidence which won't matter in this trial whatsoever!"

The judge asked, "To the contrary, does the defense have any new points?"

Phoenix nodded his head and pulled out the threads of polyester. "This, Your Honor, is the remains of one of Maya's bras. It was allegedly worn by the killer during the crime. The struggle caused the bra to snap."

However, the judge found no reason to continue with useless information. He started, "Are there any witnesses to this crime?"

There was an answer. "Your Honor," Ms. von Karma stated, "The prosecution calls Detective Dick Gumshoe to the stand."

He mounted himself on the stand and presented his testimony on what he found at the scene.

The judge seemed to be in content with his testimony and said, "Mr. Wright, you may cross examine the witness."

Detective Gumshoe repeated his earlier words.

"I found that the body was quite well preserved, despite the fire," he reported. "It is indeed evident at this point that the victim was covered with a fire blanket. This seems to suggest that the killer was inexperienced. Then again, how exactly is the Maya in Lotta's snapshots and her mugshot different?"

Phoenix screamed, "Objection!"

"Detective, I'm surprised with you! You don't see the differences between these two pictures? Isn't it obvious that in Lotta's image, Maya is slightly taller, her facial features are different, and that her bust is larger? How do you now see that?"

He jumped and sweated. The judge enforced, "The defense has a point, Detective."

Gumshoe continued to sweat.

"Well," he began, "I must not have looked at it close enough!"

Phoenix rallied, "Still, aren't you a professional? Shouldn't it stick out to you like a sore thumb that there are changes?"

He replied, "Well, um...when I first looked at it..."

Suddenly, Franziska screamed, "Objection!"

She continued, "Your Honor, the defense is badgering the witness! He is in **contempt of court!**"

Phoenix argued, "Objection! I am simply inquiring about wether he examined the photographs closely, or if he didn't!"

The judge smashed his gavel. "I do not see a reason to delay today's trial any longer. We will pick up tomorrow at 10:00 A.M. exactly. And with that, court is adjourned!"

The gavel smashed again.

October 4, 7:27 P.M. Defendant Lobby No. 1

Maya and Phoenix exited and began to chat with random individuals who were scattered around the court.

However, while Phoenix was chatting with a court bailiff, he heard Maya exclaim, "Get off of me!"

Phoenix stated, "What is it now, Maya?"

He walked over and saw her cousin, Pearl Fey, on the floor, attached to her leg, crying waterfalls of tears on her sandals.

"Mystic Maya, you can't go to prison!" She sobbed violently.

"What will I do without you? Aughahahaha!"

The tears formed a large puddle two feet in diameter.

Phoenix thought, "Go to prison, you say? More like Maya gets put on death row and is executed."

Maya dragged her leg forward, but Pearl was still attached.

She picked the seven year old girl up in her hands and said, "It's OK, Pearl. I'm innocent, and Mr. Nick over there is going to prove it!"

She sniffed and stopped crying buckets. Suddenly, she started laughing hysterically.

Pearl screamed, "Oh, Mr. Nick! You are quite the guy!"

Phoenix frowned and asked, "Why is she laughing?"

Maya giggled and replied, "Well, she is hysterical. Just wait until a few days from now. Anyway, I should get back to detention. I bet the big boys are waiting for me."

She left, leaving Pearl and Phoenix in the now vacant lobby.

She asked, "What will happen to me now?"

Phoenix said, "I will get a full acquittal for Mystic Maya. I promise."

She sounded confused. "What's an ack-whit-ul?" she asked.

"Well, an acquittal is when someone is found Not Guilty.", Phoenix nodded.

Pearl acted excited as he took her in his car and drive her back to Kurain Village, where she was welcomed back by her mother, Maya's aunt Morgan.

Phoenix thought, "Boy, do I have a lot of weight on my shoulders, or what?"


	5. Tesla's Weapon

October 5, 9:15 A.M. Kurain National Archive

Phoenix was tugged by Maya into a room full of scrolls and modern textbooks.

She announced, "This is where all of the documents are held, past and present. In fact, text leading back to 1423 is in this room. However, today we are finding when Story Towers was built."

She peeled a book open and began to read. "Story Towers began construction in 1989.", she began.

"However, the building was not finished until 1993 because of the building of its sister building, The Skyscraping Hotel, was under construction at the same time. The residence holds roughly 1,234 people at a time, while its twin holds about half as much."

She then closed the book and put it back on the shelf. "Ah," she said, "So that effectively means that Story Towers is fairly new."

All of a sudden, a figure appeared in front of them. "Hello, foolish fools who reek of a highly foolish scent of perfume! The mighty Franziska von Karma has bested you for good!", she screamed loudly.

Phoenix asked, "What are your intentions, foul woman?"

She scoffed in his face and replied, "Isn't it obvious, Wright? To convict Maya and out her out of her misery. Also, I would hate to spoil von Karma blood once more!"

Phoenix smiled and said, "Nice try, pal, but how exactly are you going to make us obey you?"

She ripped a device out of her pocket and stated, "This."

Its terminals zapped with electric current.

Maya asked in bewilderment, "What exactly is that, Nick?"

He replied, "A taser. It is usually used for self defense, or in this case, a weapon."

Franziska warned, "Put your hands up, or this 110 volt taser is shining down on you! After all, you will more likely than not die when the AC touched you and barrels towards ground! Also, you better not move, or you're done for!"

Maya lashed her hand out. She screamed, "I'll get you, von Karma!"

Franziska squeezed the button with her gloved fingers while it made contact with Maya's kimono. The electricity forced its way into Maya's body, forcing her to drop the book in her hand.

She began to scream violently. Her body retched. The muscles in her body began to twitch as blue colored voltage surged through, heading on its mission; to find ground. After a 10 second zap, she let go of the trigger.

The medium dropped to the ground and breathed heavily.

The prosecutor continued, "This is for all of the things you and your friend over here have done to me!"

She hit the button again. Electricity flew into her body again, and she was being lifted up by the force of the current.

She screamed out with all her might, "Nick! P...please help me...", but Phoenix didn't aid her, as touching her would cause him to become electrocuted also.

13 seconds later, she let go once more.

She continued, "I am the daughter of the legendary Manfred von Karma! Why should I waste my time with mercy? Prepare to die, vile fiend!"

She zapped her enemy again, and Phoenix saw blue trails of the current flying into Maya's eyes and mouth. He started to wonder wether she could ever be able to see and taste another burger again.

After what seemed like forever, Franziska released her from the blast of taser power.

She screamed, "C'mon! Die already!"

She then zapped her a fourth time for 3 seconds and left her to die.

Phoenix asked, "Maya?"

She didn't answer.

He asked again, "Maya?"

Still, no answer was given. He then screamed, "MAYA!"

He bent over her and felt her neck for a any signs of life. He felt no heartbeat. He pulled his head over her lifeless body. He just wanted her to open her beautiful, blue eyes again, just for him.

But that wasn't going to happen.

He felt tears rush to his eyes. He thought, "I...just lost her. Dammit, von Karma! You killed her! What am I going to tell Pearl now?"

As he sulked over her, he collapsed on the ground and sulked for hours. "If only she had another chance," Phoenix thought solemnly.

After he felt like he could cry no more, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

A female voice asked, "Why are you crying?"

Phoenix refused to show his eyes. With tears still dripping from his eyes, he said, "Leave me alone."

The woman insisted, "What's wrong?"

He asked, "Please tell me where you took her body."

She asked, "What do you mean by 'body'?"

He cried, "The lifeless body of my girlfriend, Maya Fey. She was killed earlier today."

The girl then said, "Nick."

Phoenix opened his eyes and ripped his head towards the voice. He only knew one girl who would say that.

Maya.

He exclaimed, "Maya!"

He jumped towards her and held her tightly. Tears from his face dampened her kimono.

He screamed, "I thought I would never see you again! I thought you were dead!"

She explained, "Nick, the metal rack overhead must have absorbed some of the electricity. That's what saved my life."

Phoenix felt warm and fuzzy inside. He said, "Maya, I can't explain how much I love you."

Maya smiled. She returned, "Nick, I feel the same way."

She reached over and kissed him. Phoenix turned red. He felt that today was going to be a long day.


	6. Like Mother, Like Daughter

October 5, 9:30 A.M. Story Towers

Phoenix and Maya walked towards Story Towers, unsure of what to find. They began to discuss what they would do before court would start. After finding the evidence in the same place as yesterday, the two left for the city center. As they walked, they heard a news broadcast on the televisions in an electronics store.

"Yesterday, Maya Fey, resident of Kurain Village, who was also known by her Japanese name, Mayoi Ayasato, was arrested on charges of suspected first-degree murder and arson.", the anchor said.

Maya gasped as her police mugshot was put on the air for all of the nation to see.

"She is being tried at the District Court in downtown Los Angeles. The case is being decided. The second day if the trial begins in half an hour and will be televised. The public may also attend the trial. CNN will begin live-streaming as soon as the doors open."

While Maya was thinking about how many people will watch her trial, there was a bright flash in the sky, like magnesium.

She screamed, "Nick, get your head down!"

There was a powerful explosion. Rumbling noises shook the ground violently. The televisions shut off due to the electromagnetic pulse that was released. The bright mushroom cloud from the explosion touched the ground, causing a violent pressure blast to rocket towards them. After it subsided, one man found mass amounts of molten debris on the ground.

Maya looked around. A few buildings around then had been leveled. There were fires spreading and broken water mains.

She screamed, "We've been hit by an atom bomb!"

All of those around her began to scream and run wildly. The air raid sirens, which were installed in 1954, went off.

As the noise level increased, Phoenix thought, "A rising and falling note on a siren usually indicates that a nuclear weapon will explode."

The police opened up their cruisers and led tall men in navy jackets with "FBI" on them to the scene.

They held the wreckage in their hands and pulled out their bullhorns. "Fellow citizens," one man said, "there is no need to be alarmed. The explosive was a 1 kiloton kerosene explosive. There is no threat of radiation poisoning."

The mass amount of people screaming stopped and the siren switched off. However, some of the older residents continued to scream, as they were fluent Japanese speakers and did not understand English as well.

In response, another police officer spoke the message again, this time in Japanese, and all was still and quiet.

Phoenix sighed, "Well, let's get a move on."

October 5, 10:00 A.M. District Court, Courtroom No. 1

Nearly 350 people had showed up to watch the trial that day, and 20 million others were tuning in on CNN. Phoenix grimaced. He knew that his actions would determine wether Maya would live or die.

The judge banged his gavel.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Maya Fey," he said.

Franziska laughed hysterically, "The prosecution is ready, Your Honor!"

Phoenix sweated, "The defense is ready, Your Honor."

The judge asked, "Is their any sort of witness to call? If not, I can deliver my verdict right here and now."

There was only silence. The judge called, "Well then! This court finds the defendant, Maya Fey..."

Before the judge could say the word "Guilty", the doors burst open and a woman screamed, "Hold it!"

Maya's ears lifted as the words were expelled.

The voice continued, "Much to my sister's speaking of the contrary, I am alive and well!"

Maya's eyes expanded in her skull and she shook, "Nick...it...it's...my mother!"

The woman's brown hair and appearance seemed to match the photograph that Maya kept in her diary. Even the yellow-orange magatama matched. Her outfit was even a pink version of Maya's.

Misty continued, "I have found the ideal witness to testify, and this is the one and only Azalea Carr!"

Misty then pushed the girl to the bailiff, where he took her height and weight.

The displays showed up in Phoenix's face:

Height: 5' 11"  
Weight: 115 lbs.  
Age: 23

Phoenix smiled. "Finally! I'm getting somewhere!", he thought.

Azalea pulled her tablet out and started reading something on it.

The judge said, "Ms. Carr, this is a court of law! It is forbidden to read on the witness stand!"

She beamed her soft eyes towards him. "Your Honor, I was just reading some fan fiction! It was even about Fullmetal Alchemist!"

The judge asked once more, "Well, prove your point."

She said softly, "I was just wondering if I was annoying you, Your Honor."

The judge replied, "Of course not!"

The woman stowed her tablet and pulled out some manga that she had bought the day before.

Phoenix sweated. "Well, as Mia, Maya's (dead) sister used to say, some girls like to use a façade as a cover."

The judge banged his gavel.

"Well then, begin your testimony, Ms. Carr."

After it was completed, Phoenix began his usual scrutinizing procedure.

She began, "I was collecting laundry when I saw a woman leaving a room. I thought she might have been in a hurry because she was rushing out. I collected her goods and headed off to the washing department. However, I smelled smoke and ran out of the building!"

Phoenix screamed, "Objection!"

"Ms. Carr, did you leave the apartment because you smelled smoke, or was it because of an alarm?"

She replied, "I smelled the nasty smell of smoke, Mr. Wright!"

"Ms. Carr," the attorney stated, slamming his hands on the desk, "If that was so, than the automatic fire alarms were jammed shut!"

The jury roared in amazement. The judge banged his gavel.

"Order! Order in the court!", he yelled.

Ms. Carr then asked, "Mr. Wright?"

He responded, "Yes?"

She replied, "I could act as my own attorney because I'm RIGHT all the time! Get it? Right, Wright? Ha ha ha!"

Phoenix sweated, "Yeah, sure."

He could feel the jury, in addition to millions of people, laughing at him. The judge smashed his gavel.

"Ms. Carr, can you give your testimony again?"

She said, "Yes."

After it was completed, Phoenix scanned into her testimony."

She said, "When I left, I saw the building in flames! It was burning up! The laundry room was shut down due to the flames, so I couldn't call 9-1-1!"

Phoenix, however, was not convinced. He screamed, "Objection! Are you sure that you couldn't reach the room?"

She replied, "No way I could get in that room! It was engulfed in flames!"

Phoenix noted, "Ms. Carr, the laundry room had large water tanks, and if they were heated, would burst and extinguish the fire!"

She jumped and shook. The jury roared in excitement, but they were interrupted by the judge smashing his gavel.

"Order! Order in the court!", he yelled.

The judge continued, "Mr. Wright, are you sure that your accusations are correct?" Phoenix nodded, "Yes, Your Honor."

He sweated and thought, "I better be right. Otherwise, Maya's life is over. She doesn't have a chance if I fail. Then, the Fey family will have eternal disgust against me and my descendants."

Suddenly, he saw Mia in his visual field. "Phoenix...", she said.

"Don't look directly at it...but think outside the box. This will help you for the better."

She then disappeared from his sight, and left him on his own. He then thought, "What should I do next?"

He then said, "I can prove that Ms. Carr is the killer without a doubt! Could the second picture be put on the monitor?"

The picture soon appeared, and Phoenix said, "Here, you can see that Maya's chest is partially exposed. This means that her bra snapped during a struggle. However, because Ms. Carr's breasts are larger than Maya's, the bra snapped long before the struggle, explaining why her chest is exposed!"

She jumped and raised her temper. She violently screamed, "Where did you come up with this, lawyer? Stop acting like an ass and get your shit together!"

Phoenix yelled, "I can do better than that! I can prove that you are the killer!"

She replied angrily, "What is my motive, then?"

He yelled, "In reality, you are the cousin of Amanda Steele! You hated the fact that she had the better treatment! You were pushed under the bus, and took your revenge out, and blamed Maya for the crime to save yourself!"

The judge smashed his gavel three times. "Order! Order in the court! Please go on, Mr. Wright!"

Phoenix stated, "Ms. Carr, you disguised yourself as Maya and headed out to Amanda's room! You slaughtered her with a stolen police handgun, which your sister had access to because she was a police officer, and killed her! You then covered her with a fire blanket, sprayed a thick layer if naphtha on the floor and walls, and used a lighter to torch the building!"

She then uttered, "Shut up, jackass! That is a frivolous claim! M...Maya did it, and she should die! Die! Put her down!"

The court roared in shock. The judge banged his gavel. "Order! Order! Order in the court!", he screamed over the noise.

"Will the witness care to explain?", he asked.

Azalea took a manga book and threw it into the jury.

She screamed, "DAAAAMMITTTTTTTT! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" She then passed out.

The judge banged his gavel. "Therefore, this court sentences the witness to death by hanging due to capital murder, arson, and intentional destruction of an occupied structure."

The witness stood up. The bailiff handcuffed her and took her away.

The judge then said, "This court finds the defendant, Maya Fey..."

The court paused. "Not Guilty."

Confetti rained down from the ceiling and the judge banged his gavel.

"And with that, court is adjourned!", he continued.

Phoenix felt relieved that Maya was going to live. He also felt millions of people congratulating him in his mind.


	7. Choices

October 5, 12:23 P.M. Defendant Lobby No. 1

Phoenix exited the courtroom with confidence. He had just saved the life of an innocent person, which he hadn't done before. As the swarms of people congratulated him, he took a seat on a bench.

Phoenix saw Maya sit down next to him.

She said, "Well, it looks like my life was saved twice."

Pearl then stormed the bench, who yelled happily, "Mystic Maya is innocent! Mr. Nick got an ack-whit-ul for her! Hurray for Mr. Nick!"

Misty also took a seat. She said, "Mr. Nick, I can see that you are quite the attorney."

Phoenix commented, "Um...I would prefer either Mr. Wright or Nick. After all, aren't you an adult, not some 7 year old child?"

She then replied, "Well then! Mr. Wright, great skills are the key! That is what you just did, and you saved my daughter from the clutches of execution."

"Well, I believe that Pearl and yourself should have a nice rest of the day.", Phoenix said.

The two agreed and left. Maya asked, "Nick, do you think it is a good idea for us to eat and spend the night at the Skyscraping Hotel, since Story Towers was destroyed?"

Phoenix blushed heavily. He stated, "Sure."

October 5, 4:30 P.M. Hotel Lobby

Phoenix entered the lobby. Immediately, he found a chart that had the prices of rooms. It read:

Standard Room: $150 per night  
Deluxe Room: $300 per night  
Lover's Delight: $1,500 per night, plus 20% discount on food

He then traveled up to the automated concierge, which had replaced human ones a gazillion years ago. He pressed his option.

The computer requested, "Please deposit cash or swipe credit card to continue."

He took out his card and swiped it.

After a second or two, the computer asked, "Would you like anything else to customize your stay?"

He looked at the options carefully.

Unlimited TV re-runs: $2.00  
Adjustable bed: $10.00  
Macintosh: $5.00  
Super bedding: $3.00  
Cooking equipment: $15.00

He checked off all of the options. He knew that Maya would love what he picked out.

The computer finalized the options and said, "Enjoy your stay."

Two room keys were ejected into his hand. He looked at the cards. They had the number "2009" imprinted on them, so he took the elevator to the top floor, where room 2009 was located.

He pushed the key inside and went inside. The door shut and locked behind him automatically. The interior was amazing, with marble and granite being used in lots of places. He then remembered something that Maya said earlier.

She told him, "For dinner, I want a burger, french fries, and a milkshake!"

Phoenix opened his eyes and thought, "Why would Maya basically prefer fast food over a premium meal?"

He thought some more and realized, "Well, she's Maya, after all."

Phoenix walked over to the counter and saw that there was a package of hamburger. It read: USDA Certified, 85% Lean Ground Chuck. He washed his hands and opened the package. He shaped the meat into circular masses, and seasoned them.

They were then placed on a grill, and they cooked well. After they were done, Phoenix took cottonseed oil and placed it in a fryer. He also sliced up Russet potatoes and threw them into the boiling oil.

As they browned up, he thought, "I'm just glad that I'm not one of those potato slices."

He took them out and plated roughly 15 fries next to each burger. He then got the chocolate ice cream out, and mixed it with various other ingredients. The blender did a majority of the mixing, as a 30 second session showed. He put a long red and white straw in each 20 oz. glass. After setting up the meal for himself and Maya, he waited.

In fact, it was not too long that he had to wait. About one minute after finishing his cooking, he heard a room key insert itself into the slot.

Maya then entered. Phoenix sprung up from his chair and said, "Maya, what time is it?"

Maya happily replied, "It is 6:00 P.M."

Phoenix then realized, "That mean I just spent an hour and a half cooking!"

The two sat down and began discussing various things while eating.

After she had ingested her hamburger, she told Phoenix, "I have a funny joke to tell you! It is about a shaggy dog and a boy."

He sweated back, "Go ahead."

Maya began, "There once was a boy who had a shaggy dog. His friends and parents often made comments about how shaggy it was. One day, this boy found out that there were contests for shaggy dogs. He won the competition. Eventually, he was at the world championship. However, when the judge came to his dog, he said, 'Compared to the other dogs, this one isn't so shaggy.'!"

Maya laughed hysterically, almost with a little glee. Phoenix, however, was not as impressed. He honestly did not think the joke was funny, but feigned laughing anyways.

The two then began ingesting their milkshakes, which were the perfect consistency. After nearly 15 minutes, their eating session was complete.

She asked, "Nick, by chance, could we watch re-runs?"

Phoenix said, "Sure."

To him, the term "re-runs" meant re-runs of _The Steel Samurai._He figured that the night would be somewhat long, as Maya had about 4 episodes that she liked in particular.

Maya prodded, "Nick, go make some popcorn! I want popcorn!"

Phoenix reluctantly agreed. As soon as he brought the food out, Maya reached over and began ripping handfuls of the food into her mouth. The television was turned on and it began rolling.

After what seemed like forever, a screen popped up in front of their eyes that said "THE END". Phoenix looked over at Maya who had a face of pure excitement.

She screamed, "Wasn't that great, Nick? I mean, there was danger, shocking thrills, and laughs!"

Phoenix said, "Anyway, Maya, I'm going to bed."

She put her hands on Phoenix's shoulders and replied, "No. We are going to bed."

They both left for the large, king bed in the center of the bedroom. Phoenix got inside and waited for Maya's arrival. When she was finished getting ready, Phoenix eagerly waited for her to get in the bed.

She got inside, but Phoenix was confused as if to why she was still in her regular outfit.

He noted, "Maya..."

Before he could finish, she said, "Don't worry, Nick! I am fine!"

After Phoenix had fallen asleep, she tried to do so, but just couldn't.

There was a burning sensation in between her legs, as if she felt something was lacking. She tapped Phoenix's arm. He woke up immediately.

He asked, "What now?"

She answered, "Prepare to be amazed!"

She took off her purple robes and her magatama. Phoenix's eyes opened wide as she also removed her kimono.

He said, "Here we are again, like teenagers on major hormones."

His hands made contact with her exposed stomach, causing Maya to feel mass pleasure. She moaned in excitement, much like a dog does when it gets its ears itched.

Phoenix gradually moved higher, causing both him and herself to experience euphoria.

Maya uttered, "Niiiiiick...keep doing that. It feels good."

And so Phoenix did just that. After getting the closest to Maya he could possible get without getting "intimate", as his 8th grade health class described it.

She finally jumped up and said, "Nick...I...I can't explain why, but I seriously want to go further. Right now. I'm not afraid. My fears were tossed out a long time ago. Go on. Do what you want to me. Get even closer."

Phoenix blushed and shyly said, "Maya...I can't. I just can't do it."

Maya sighed and said, "Nick, what's the matter? Why can't you?"

Phoenix said, "If the truth must be known, if I lose myself right now, in this hotel room, I won't appreciate it when we get married someday. I'd much rather shed that when we are truly connected."

Maya said, "Okay, okay. I'm just surprised I'm hearing this from a boy! Usually, only a girl says that, but I'm okay with waiting."

She then kissed Phoenix and felt the burning feeling in her crotch disappear.

She said, "Nick, sleep well."

Phoenix replied, "The same."


	8. The Aftermath

October 6, 6:00 A.M. Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix and Maya entered the building with pride. Phoenix especially knew he was responsible for allowing Maya to live. As he sat down at his computer, he heard Maya talking on the phone with her mother.

"Yeah, of course, Mom. I'll be careful. After all, Nick and Mystic Pearl will be watching the launch!"

Phoenix thought, "Launch? What launch? Is she going into space or something?"

She hung up and said to Phoenix, "Nick, NASA is launching a rocket that will deploy a satellite. Will you go with me to watch the launch?"

He thought for a moment and replied, "Yes. No doubts about it. After all, what could go wrong?"

Phoenix still had that slim possibility of failure of the launch in his mind. However, he figured that it would be worth the trip.

Maya then said, "Nick, I'll be back here when we are going to leave, OK?"

He replied, "Sure."

She then left, leaving him alone in the office. He stood up and got to work. He bet that tomorrow was going to be a looooong day...

THE END


End file.
